Author Janet Sarbanes speaks with Kate and Medaya about her new collection The Protester Has Been Released. The wide-ranging conversation includes Soviet space dogs, humanity’s betrayal of the planet, the relevance of Latin American literature in the era of Trump, and of course, the reason this moment inspires protest. Also, LARB’s Eric Newman drops in to recommend two books from the recent Chinese LGBT canon: Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin from Taiwan and Beijing Comrade by Bei Tong — both of which brilliantly capture the spirit of romantic obsession.